Earth Maiden Arjuna 25 Years Anniversary Rewatch Episode 13 Discussion
# Episode 13: The Here and Now
***
[Previous episode](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qidvro/earth_maiden_arjuna_25_years_anniversary_rewatch/) | [Index](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q2dzfb/earth_maiden_arjuna_25_years_anniversary_rewatch/) | [Next](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2HPPHdPAA)
***
## Links, useful info:
[MAL](https://myanimelist.net/anime/812/Chikyuu_Shoujo_Arjuna) | [Anilist](https://anilist.co/anime/812/Arjuna/) | [Anidb](https://anidb.net/anime/107) | [Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/chikyuu-shoujo-arjuna) | [Livechart](https://www.livechart.me/anime/5910) | [ANN](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=602) | [AP](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/arjuna)
***
## Streams:
[Tubi](https://tubitv.com/series/1960), but that service is only in certain countries. [Otherwise](#piracy)
***
## Questions for the day:
1) How reckless Juna was by activating Ashura to travel back to Japan to save the people?
2) Chris revealing himself being one with the Raajas, how surprising it was?
3) So this revelation means that Raajas are part of the natural order of balance?
4) What are the Raajas are then?
5) So any take on this episode as basically the culmination of what we have seen before?
***
## Highlights from yesterday:
1) For u/wloff, this show did a sudden 180 turn:
> What's this? It's like the show suddenly realized it was supposed to be a magical girl battle anime and decided to speedrun half a season's worth of development in two minutes.
> And, umm, it goes a liiiittle bit overboard in no time flat. I thought when we last left off we were watching a high schooler love triangle with some enviromentalist messaging sprinkled in, now all of a sudden, everyone is dead, Sayuri's dad burns alive in front of their eyes, Juna apparently remotely experiences being burnt alive, and literally all of Japan is destroyed. Oh, and we're time-skipping eleven days ahead to end up in some kind of a post-apocalyptic survival horror scenario.
2) Chris is still unlikeable, and u/AgentOfACROSS still agrees on this:
> Chris' only purpose in this show is to periodically show up, call Juna an dumbass and say everything's her fault and then leave again.
> If Chris thinks Juna's so bad at her job, why did he even choose her to begin with?
***
### Other information:
ED: [Saigo no Mameshiba (さいごのマメシバ)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a5lKYx8x18) by Maaya Sakamoto
***
## Disclaimer notice:
Dear rewatchers, please be nice to the first-time watchers by simply not spoilering anything. But if you want to discuss spoiler-territory things, use spoiler tags instead. Thank you for your understanding.
For example [this is] >!a spoiler!<
***
[Previous episode](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qidvro/earth_maiden_arjuna_25_years_anniversary_rewatch/) | [Index](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q2dzfb/earth_maiden_arjuna_25_years_anniversary_rewatch/) | [Next](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2HPPHdPAA)
***
## Links, useful info:
[MAL](https://myanimelist.net/anime/812/Chikyuu_Shoujo_Arjuna) | [Anilist](https://anilist.co/anime/812/Arjuna/) | [Anidb](https://anidb.net/anime/107) | [Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/chikyuu-shoujo-arjuna) | [Livechart](https://www.livechart.me/anime/5910) | [ANN](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=602) | [AP](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/arjuna)
***
## Streams:
[Tubi](https://tubitv.com/series/1960), but that service is only in certain countries. [Otherwise](#piracy)
***
## Questions for the day:
1) How reckless Juna was by activating Ashura to travel back to Japan to save the people?
2) Chris revealing himself being one with the Raajas, how surprising it was?
3) So this revelation means that Raajas are part of the natural order of balance?
4) What are the Raajas are then?
5) So any take on this episode as basically the culmination of what we have seen before?
***
## Highlights from yesterday:
1) For u/wloff, this show did a sudden 180 turn:
> What's this? It's like the show suddenly realized it was supposed to be a magical girl battle anime and decided to speedrun half a season's worth of development in two minutes.
> And, umm, it goes a liiiittle bit overboard in no time flat. I thought when we last left off we were watching a high schooler love triangle with some enviromentalist messaging sprinkled in, now all of a sudden, everyone is dead, Sayuri's dad burns alive in front of their eyes, Juna apparently remotely experiences being burnt alive, and literally all of Japan is destroyed. Oh, and we're time-skipping eleven days ahead to end up in some kind of a post-apocalyptic survival horror scenario.
2) Chris is still unlikeable, and u/AgentOfACROSS still agrees on this:
> Chris' only purpose in this show is to periodically show up, call Juna an dumbass and say everything's her fault and then leave again.
> If Chris thinks Juna's so bad at her job, why did he even choose her to begin with?
***
### Other information:
ED: [Saigo no Mameshiba (さいごのマメシバ)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a5lKYx8x18) by Maaya Sakamoto
***
## Disclaimer notice:
Dear rewatchers, please be nice to the first-time watchers by simply not spoilering anything. But if you want to discuss spoiler-territory things, use spoiler tags instead. Thank you for your understanding.
For example [this is] >!a spoiler!<
Commentaires
- [This wasn’t the type of show I was expecting to see an Itano Circus in, huh.](https://i.imgur.com/R5COJNZ.png) [](#mindmelt)
- [Yeah because you never tell her *anything*.](https://i.imgur.com/PbXGNBb.png) [](#miyamoriunimpressed)
- […huh.](https://i.imgur.com/4pERFf2.png) [](#sakurathink)
- [Oh lovely…](https://i.imgur.com/TzOODeM.png) [](#emiliaohdear)
- [Then what *can* they do?](https://i.imgur.com/wBaMf9Z.png)
- […the only answer is still “fuck Japan in particular”?](https://i.imgur.com/SE3cZAq.png)
- [He had the absolute *worst* way of showing it if true.](https://i.imgur.com/Onmvi2S.png) [](#psh-mongrels)
- [Oh, Mother Earth.](https://i.imgur.com/PVduYCR.png) [](#binoculars)
- [Ohh, this all ties back into the whole “become one with the target” stuff she had to learn for archery, doesn’t it.](https://i.imgur.com/leFxkZX.png) [](#rengethink)
- Chris is able to talk again, but [now Juna can’t…?](https://i.imgur.com/MCy8CNE.png)
- [Okay this shot is very pretty.](https://i.imgur.com/OgDJa9j.png) [](#neat)
If that was another country, nothing would change.
> Ohh, this all ties back into the whole “become one with the target” stuff she had to learn for archery, doesn’t it.
The "whole unity" is supposed to be the main theme, but the execution is kinda iffy here.
I think I wanna punch this show in the face?
I'm curious what other people think about the finale, but for me personally, it really undermined the goodwill I was still trying to maintain toward the show.
It started off well - we learn that Chris is actually ~~an angel,~~ i mean, a Raaja, which explains his behavior to some extent. I also assume this means he's the one who basically controls them (Teresa mentioned that the Raaja seem to have a commander structure). So Chris is the main antagonist who wants to use the Raaja's excessive power to get rid of the modern world, which also explains his rudeness and general creepiness. That doesn't explain why he gave Juna her powers, but maybe that will be clarified later in the episode, right?
**NO! BECAUSE THE SHOW SOMEHOW MANAGED AGAIN TO TURN EVERYTHING INTO "NO, JUNA!!!! YOU'RE STUPID!!!! CHRIS IS ACTUALLY BASED, AND YOU JUST WON'T LISTEN TO HIM!!!!!“** Like, what the hell? What the fuck did Cindy mean when she said ”Chris knew this would happen" when talking about Tokio? He knew Tokio would find some fucking grapes when he WAS RISKING HIS LIFE TRYING TO SAVE THE DYING SAURI AND HER SISTER?!?!? WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE A SWARM OF UNKILLABLE MONSTERS?!?!?! AFTER THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH A SERIES OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS, LIKE SAYURI WATCHING HER FATHER BURN ALIVE?!?!?!?
Oh, and it seems we finally found out what Chris wanted June to do with the Raaja's. You see, she wasn't supposed to KILL them, she was supposed to ABSORB them, just like Chris did. WHY?!?! THIS EPISODE ITSELF MENTIONS HOW CHRIS STARTED DYING AFTER HE DID THAT TO **ONE** RAAJA! SO WHAT DID HE EXPECT JUNA TO DO, DO IT 12 TIMES, FOR GOD'S SAKE?!?!? OR DO IT ONCE AND THEN FIND A NEW REPLACEMENT HERSELF?!?!?! AND WHY ALL THIS TALK ABOUT JUNA NEEDING TO “AWAKEN” OR THAT SHE IS “THEIR LAST HOPE”?!
And do they even need to be sealed?! In this episode, it was shown that Raaja simply eats things that pollute the earth and waste that cannot “return to the earth,” and after that, Raaja becomes edible. SO WHY STOPPING THEM?!?! JUST EVACUATE PEOPLE AT PLACES WHERE RAAJA ATTACKS, AND LET THEM DO THEIR THING! I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYONE AT S.E.E.D WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT!!!
AND WHY THE HELL COULDN'T HE EXPLAIN ANYTHING TO JUNA?!?!? “I ToLd yOu, BuT YoU DidN't...” NO, BULLSHIT! CHRIS DIDN'T EXPLAIN A SHIT! WAS IT SO HARD TO JUST SIT DOWN WITH HER AND SAY:
*-"You know, Juna, you have to remember that everything in our lives is interconnected. By harming the Earth, you are harming yourself. Rajas are the result of this - creatures that clean up pollution and turn it into food.*
*-“Wow, Chris, thank you for explaining that to me. Now I understand.”*
AND WAS THIS LESSON WORTH THE DESTRUCTION OF JAPAN, THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF GOD KNOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE?!?!?! AND WHY DID HE EVEN GIVE JUNA HER POWERS?!
I swear, if I had been a YouTube critic from 2008, this episode would have been the moment [I pulled out my gun.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80DhdNAOFz4)
[](#hugbear)
I think Chris might be the worst author self-insert I have seen in a while.
>
>
>
> I think I wanna punch this show in the face?
Continuing to follow along and read the rewatcher comments despite dropping the show less than halfway through episode two was made worthwhile by reading this comment alone if nothing else.
[](#satisfyingbev)
* “If only I had realized it sooner” – i.e. Chris was right. Also: I means *you the viewer* here.
* The Raaja upgraded to itano circus attacks.
* “I and the Raaja were one and the same from the beginning” – and not interested in communication.
* “It was calling me” – because how else would you recognize good food, except it calling for you.
The *Chris was right* and *eat Raaja* ending. I guess this is how nutcases imagine the happy ending: people spontaneously *get it* accept that the nutcase is right and that they should have always been of their opinion. Oh, and destroying modern civilization is a good thing, apparently.
One tiny scene stood out to me: In the long clip show of *evil things of modernity*, one evil was the class learning in school. Which was linked to chickens in their cages. Makes sense that somebody who preaches nutcase theories sees science and learning as an enemy. After all, the whole message of Chris was that you have to intuitively get it, not be taught it.
And turns out Raaja is something that purifies the Earth by eating stuffs that can't be eaten by other living organisms and then make themselves edible and return them to the living beings.
Okay so I think the ending is trying to say that the Raaja were never really bad because they were only just trying to dispose of non-biodegradable waste. But like, we saw them attacking buildings that were already in use by people. Like maybe if their attacks were on places like abandoned building and landfills you could have made this argument (that might have even been some nice foreshadowing) but the Raaja were definitely a threat to people.
Chris continued to annoy me all the way up to the end here but I guess he was supposed to be right?
Cindy also says that Chris always believed in Juna but I honestly do not believe that. Like all he’s done throughout the series is tell Juna that she’s wrong about everything and never elaborated.
I was kinda hoping we’d get an epilogue showing that somehow Japan was able to rebuild but things seem kinda ambiguous as to what happens next after all this.
In the end I do still like Juna and Tokio as characters, I just wish they were in a better anime than this.
Honestly I think this rewatch has been a cautionary tale about how not every old anime that looks cool and does artsy stuff is automatically good.
What I dislike most about this anime though is that it makes series with an environmental message look bad.
One of my favorite movies of all time (not just anime movies, movies period) is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and that has a very clear environmental message behind it.
[](#azusalaugh)
> Chris continued to annoy me all the way up to the end here but I guess he was supposed to be right?
> Cindy also says that Chris always believed in Juna but I honestly do not believe that. Like all he’s done throughout the series is tell Juna that she’s wrong about everything and never elaborated.
So Chris explained the entire situation to Juna, in a totally wrong way. As totally expected.
> In the end I do still like Juna and Tokio as characters, I just wish they were in a better anime than this.
Satelight, Macross creator, being anime original was not enough for that.
> Honestly I think this rewatch has been a cautionary tale about how not every old anime that looks cool and does artsy stuff is automatically good.
Agree.
> What I dislike most about this anime though is that it makes series with an environmental message look bad.
> One of my favorite movies of all time (not just anime movies, movies period) is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and that has a very clear environmental message behind it.
Can agree, enviormentalism is a good and commendable thing, but compared to this, Nausicaa is a masterpiece which delivered that message in a better way with a better execution.
I think the anime ended on a good note, even though it presents it in a kinda awkward, sophisticated way — instead of fighting or trying to subjugate nature, let’s treat it as one of our kind, as part of us all. We all live on a puny little rock called Earth, it’s the only home we have, so let’s treat it and our co-inhabitants with respect.
Not really appreciating the anime being ambiguous about what happens to Juna and Chris, but I’m inclined to think that they both are dead at the end. Thinking back to the first episode, Juna had already died back then but Chris offered her to keep her living for a while longer in exchange for helping him reconcile humans with Raajas. Now that humanity learned their lesson and achieved peace with nature, Juna’s mission is accomplished. (and Tokio x Sayuri ship finally sails). Well and Chris — the anime has been quite clear about his deteriorating condition.
(or not? Maybe now that Raajas no longer put a burden on Chris, he’s all good? And Juna is totally fine too rather than "temporarily resurrected" like my theory suggests? Argh)
QotD:
1. I’m under impression that Ashura shows up on its own when Juna is in distress rather than Juna summoning it consciously.
2. Somewhat surprising, but nothing too out there. He’s always been a cryptic guy.
3. I think yes.
4. I think of them as kind of supernatural force which purpose is to make humanity realize its mistakes (from author’s standpoint) sooner rather than later.
As for the ending...
...I kinda liked it!
[](#kotourashock)
The episode definitely had its hiccups, much like most of the episodes, but the ending itself kinda restored my faith that even if there had been a lot of issues with execution on the way, at least the show had been building towards *an end*. It didn't really succeed in what it was trying to say, but it was in fact trying to say *something*. It was in a way a huge relief to me, because the tonal whiplash between some of the episodes had made me concerned that the show didn't even know what it wanted to be or what it wanted to say.
As it turns out, all those endless times Juna was told something outrageous and took it at face value (that meek "*sonna*..." will haunt my dreams for some time) had been building towards her reaching an understanding about the nature of the Raaja, and how "everything is the same, even if it's different".
Way back in Episode 1 I called Chris a Jesus allegory, and along the way I was kinda thinking I had been completely wrong, but maybe there was something to it after all. Apparently, his whole existence was about sacrificing himself to keep the Raaja locked away, and now Juna needed to take his place. Or something like that.
Of course, that doesn't explain why all of Japan needed to be destroyed and millions of people killed. But that's just one of the many "hiccups" in the plot!
[](#rinkek)
Another one is the way Juna apparently needed to just "know" that Tokio wouldn't die in the apocalypse, because after two weeks of starving, he managed to find a handful of berries in the forest.
I don't know if Japan's forests are different, but in the ones over here, finding some berries is not exactly difficult. And will not keep you alive for long if it's all you eat!
[](#juice1)
I think overall so much of the series would have been easier to take if Chris didn't need to be such a raging asshole about it the whole way. Instead of being a condescending prick who does nothing but berate Juna at every opportunity, how about at least saying, I dunno, "look, I can't spell out the truth to you because the only way you'll understand it is if you get there on your own"? I think that alone would have made the whole journey a lot easier to take.
More to say tomorrow!
[](#peace)
> As for the ending...
> ...I kinda liked it!
Good to hear it!
> Way back in Episode 1 I called Chris a Jesus allegory, and along the way I was kinda thinking I had been completely wrong, but maybe there was something to it after all. Apparently, his whole existence was about sacrificing himself to keep the Raaja locked away, and now Juna needed to take his place. Or something like that.
So basically an Antichrist?
> Of course, that doesn't explain why all of Japan needed to be destroyed and millions of people killed. But that's just one of the many "hiccups" in the plot!
Why needed, that's a good question.
> Another one is the way Juna apparently needed to just "know" that Tokio wouldn't die in the apocalypse, because after two weeks of starving, he managed to find a handful of berries in the forest.
> I don't know if Japan's forests are different, but in the ones over here, finding some berries is not exactly difficult. And will not keep you alive for long if it's all you eat!
Life always finds a way.
> I think overall so much of the series would have been easier to take if Chris didn't need to be such a raging asshole about it the whole way. Instead of being a condescending prick who does nothing but berate Juna at every opportunity, how about at least saying, I dunno, "look, I can't spell out the truth to you because the only way you'll understand it is if you get there on your own"? I think that alone would have made the whole journey a lot easier to take.
He could have been improved
Juna arrived back to Japan, to save the land and its people even if SEED tried to block her. Chris also came and revealed himswelf as the prime Raaja, bevcause he was a host body for a Raaja, in order to become one with. And that was the source of his unqiue power, and no wonder killing him means that is the true End Times.
Then realizing Raajas are eaten and disseted by animals, plants will ill use their part as well, which means they are also part of the natural cycle. And anothert reaon what is the main theme of the show: what ends in our body, we are becoming one with. And that is why all lessopns from the past what Juna and Tokio faced has a a meaning after all, as it is the true culmination of it.
Yeah, what a weird ordeal for Juna that Chris put her into. Yeah, a weird experience indeed.
> 1) How reckless Juna was by activating Ashura to travel back to Japan to save the people?
Quite one.
> 2) Chris revealing himself being one with the Raajas, how surprising it was?
Not so much.
> 3) So this revelation means that Raajas are part of the natural order of balance?
Looks like it.
> 4) What are the Raajas are then?
They are the part of the Earth.
> 5) So any take on this episode as basically the culmination of what we have seen before?
Basically what we have seen there, this is how it took into practice.